This is a blog by a Memphian who wants to share his unique perspective, along with some interesting facts & information, about cycling in & around the city of Memphis.

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Monday, August 22, 2016

There are 2.3 million reasons why you should do the 2016 FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 bike ride

There are 2.3 million reasons why you should do the 2016 FedEx
Rock-n-Roll MS-150 bike ride
By:Michael Lander

The FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 draws a lot of local area cyclists
who ride to support the National MS Society and those who
have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This is the
thirty-first year of this ride.

Bike MS events aren’t just another bike ride.They are a bike ride and so much more.

Even though there are hundreds of fundraising cycling events that take place
around the country, Bike MS is the largest one of them all.They attract nearly 100,000 participants to
them each year in more than 85 locations throughout the nation.

They also help to raise money and awareness for a disease, (known as multiple sclerosis), that currently afflicts an estimated 2.3
million people worldwide.

The organization behind Bike MS is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) and, once a year, their Mid-South
Chapter hosts its annual FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 bike ride, which, this year, will
take place on September 10 -11, 2016.

This year’s FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 bike ride will be the thirty-first one in
the Memphis area.

Most participants in the MS-150 ride are with teams and this
year there are 17 of them in the FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150.

Since the first of these rides began in 1985, thousands of cyclists have participated
in them and they have, collectively, raised at least $20 million for the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society over the past three decades.

While the challenge of trying to do a 150-mile bike ride over a weekend might
be what interests some of the cyclists in attempting it, for the majority of
participants the reason is often deeper and much more personal than that.

For them, it is because they have friends, family, co-workers, fellow church
members, neighbors, or others who are part of the 2.3 million people who have been
stricken with MS.It is for them that
they ride in order to help put an end to what can be a debilitating and
life-altering disease.

The Mid-South Chapter of the NMSS hosts the Jack-and-Back
and the FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 each year. Last year's
Rock-n-Roll MS-150 drew about 200 participants and the
Mid-South Chapter is hoping for at least 300 this year.

Those who have MS, themselves, can also participate in the program – “I Ride
with MS,” which is a special program that recognizes those who have MS and who
also want to join the cause to end MS.

Anyone interested in registering for this ride, can click on this link.You can
get a discount, at registration, by using the code “WELCOME.”

The biggest challenge for most participants in the FedEx Rock-n-
Roll MS-150 is - The Wall, which the cyclists face about 30 miles
into the ride if they do the 75 miles on Day 2.

Cyclists have the choice of either doing a 42, 75, or 100-mile ride on the
first day and they can either do a 42 or a 75-mile ride on the second day.The entire event is fully supported with rest
stops at about every 10 to 12 miles each day.Support and gear vehicles are also available and can provide any
mechanical or medical support that might be needed.

While participants in this year’s ride can expect much of what they have
experienced in the past, the event manager, Kelsey Vaughn, indicated that they
can also expect a few surprises.

“This year’s route will be very similar to last year’s, but there may be an
extra twist or turn than what they’ve seen before and we will also have some
big announcements in store for everyone, too,” Vaughn said.

The Wall is just one of the many challenges that cyclists
face on the 2-day FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 bike ride,
which can include tolerating heat and enduring the
occasional aches and pains that can come from
riding. Having rest stops every 10 to 12 miles can
help give participants a much-needed break
before getting back on the road for more.

This year’s event currently has 17 teams and 155
individuals who have registered for it thus far. Organizers of the ride are hoping to have at least 300 cyclists sign up for the ride and to reach their goal ofraising a minimum of $300,000.

“Between our Jack-and-Back MS-150 ride and the FedEx Rock-n-Roll, we have been
able to raise nearly $1,000,000 each year for the Mid-South Chapter of the MS
Society,” Vaughn said.

All proceeds that are raised support cutting-edge MS research and life-changing
services for people living with MS and enable them to live their lives in the best way that they can.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources
so that everyone affected by multiple sclerosis can live their lives with the hope that one day they
will stop MS in its tracks, restore what has been lost, and end MS forever.

The ride around Arkabutla Dam can be a very nice and
scenic view for those who decide to do the 75 miles
on Day 2 of the MS-150.

In order to fulfill this mission, the NMSS funds cutting-edge research, drives change
through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS
organizations around the world, and provides services designed to help people
with MS and their families.

In 2015 alone, the NMSS provided $122.2 million to help more than one million
individuals connect to the people, information and resources they needed. Also, to help move us closer to a world free
of MS, the NMSS also invested $54 million to support more than 380 new and
ongoing research projects around the world.

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference
for people with MS. You can learn about your options by talking to your health
care professional and by contacting the NMSS at nationalMSsociety.org or calling them at 1-800-344-4867.

There's always time for some fun and a laugh during the
FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150. The event's manager,
Kelsey Vaughn, is pictured on the left.

The disease that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is working to put an
end to is an unpredictable, and is often disabling disease to the central nervous
system, disrupting the flow of information within the brain, and between the
brain and the body.

The symptoms of MS range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.
The progression, severity, and specific symptoms of MS is often different for
each person and its affect on each individual cannot yet be predicted.

Most people who are diagnosed with MS are between the ages of 20 and 50 and
there are two to three times more women than men who are told that they have
MS.

The volunteers for the FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 may be one
of the best parts of doing this ride. Many cyclists are
especially happy to see them when they're handing them
their medals at the end of the 2-day ride.

In addition to their sponsors, there are a lot of others who help make the
MS-150 bike rides happen.

“Hosting an event of this size requires a small army.The weekend of the event, we will have 10
society staff members, 100 volunteers, dozens of local police officers, and
many supportive sponsors who all come together to put on an extraordinary
ride,” Vaughn said.

“The event takes thousands of hours of meticulous planning to put on a safe and
exciting ride and the work never stops.We have already been prepping for the 2017 ride since earlier this
spring,” she said.

“We are also always looking for ways to improve the ride by soliciting feedback
and for ways that we can attract more participants.We should be able to do this with some really
exciting stuff in the works for 2017,” she added.

To learn and read more about the FedEx Rock-n-Roll MS-150 bike ride, you can
visit https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollbikems/.For
social media, be sure to use the hashtags of #bikeMS and #DontJustRide.
For any additional information or questions about this ride, you can contact
Kelsey Vaughn by calling 615-690-5349 or emailing her at: Kelsey.vaughn@nmss.org.

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About Me

I am a long-time resident of Memphis, Tennessee. I had a long active duty military career and I am now a student at the University of Memphis. I am married to a native Memphian who is a retired Memphis City School teacher. When I am not busy, or in school, you will likely find me out riding my bike or jogging around my East Memphis neighborhood. If you would like to learn more of my passion for cycling, you can follow me on twitter at - https://twitter.com/memphiscyclist, or you can check out my cycling website - http://memphiscyclist.com. If you have any questions or comments about my blogs, my website or about Memphis cycling, please feel free to contact me at mikel5061@yahoo.com.